


The Vanishing Desk Tidy

by orphan_account



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-09-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 16:51:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2316659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ultra Magnus's Desk Tidy has been stolen, a waking horror for the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord that no one else seems to understand, least of all Rodimus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Vanishing Desk Tidy

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea that struck me very suddenly, as I started to write it I got tired and tried to finish as much as I could as quickly as possible. Unfortunately this will need to be split into two parts. 
> 
> Sort of AU setting based round the events of issue 30 of MTMTE. 
> 
> I don't normally go so in depth with notes but I feel a little bit of self-indulgent rambling might be in order. 
> 
> The relationship between Ultra Magnus and Rodimus is more complicated from Ultra Magnus's point of view, he is a very rigid personality and a polar opposite to Rodimus. He finds it hard to treat his duties with the same nonchalance as Rodimus and, a lot of things he considers important Rodimus would think of as stupid or unnecessary which, I think, might be very hurtful from Ultra Magnus's perspective. I think there is a certain part of Ultra Magnus (kinda like Swerve) that wants to fit in with the dynamics of the crew instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. The crew of the Lost Light have gotten used to living with the endless slack Rodimus gives them, while Ultra Magnus would be more comfortable if the reins were tugged on every now and then. He needs more control but out of respect for the hierarchy he can only nag at Rodimus to see things from his dogmatic perspective. Considering that often Rodimus consciously ignores Ultra Magnus's opinions I can see that attitude becoming very jading for Ultra Magnus's morale and then, eventually, even the smallest signs of neglect on behalf of his captain have a very big impact on Ultra Magnus's mood.

“Dunno, wasn’t me.” To solidify his _innocent_ plea Whirl clapped his pincers loudly and returned to watching the film being projected onto a wall at Swerve’s bar. The room was nearly dark, the faces of the audience bleached and shadowed by the visual effects of the movie. A loud chorus of boos sounded at Ultra Magnus as he stepped in front of Whirl, blocking much of the screen. But he didn’t care for the inconvenience he was causing, Ultra Magnus’s mind was fixed on getting to the bottom of this crime. 

“I would appreciate it, if you look at me when I’m speaking to you.” His voice rose above the scene of the movie. 

A sigh cleared Whirl’s vents, he was sprawled between several chairs and Ultra Magnus was spoiling his comfort. One mulish optic drifted up to the disgruntled face of his superior glowering down at him. As ever Whirl was unfazed by size and authority. 

“Wot makes you think it wuz me?” More than a few tank ticklers completely muted the consciousness of Whirl’s still small voice. 

“Because you’re the only one petty enough to do such a thing!” Ultra Magnus boomed, forgetting about the others present in the room, they’d forgotten their concern for missing the movie and had started stuffing their faces full of treats to the improvised drama playing out in front of them. 

“I call that discrimination based on personal bias…biases-s-ez.” Whirl’s drawl was maddening, Ultra Magnus’s fingers creaked into fists as he mentally struggled through a red haze threatening to obscure his better judgment. 

“ _You”-_

The beginning of a loud accusation was interrupted. 

“ _Magnus!_ ” From somewhere at the back of the bar Rodimus came forward, light from the film flickering in the glass of his full cube as he sashayed over, picking his way through seats and feet and junk fuel as he made his way to Ultra Magnus’s side. 

“ _Sir!_ ” Ultra Magnus yelped, relieved and aggravated still. But with his Captain’s support he would surely restore order. 

“What’re you fussing over now?” 

A few snorts sounded, the darkness made it hard for Ultra Magnus to distinguish who had slighted him. Rodimus’s colloquialism was already a bad omen. Before the inquest could begin Ultra Magnus felt his lips tug down in weariness. 

“Big M is mad coz he reckons I stole his paper weight.”

“ _Desk Tidy!”_

“Whatever.” 

There were signs of strain showing in Rodimus’s expression, as if he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and neither reaction Ultra Magnus would deem appropriate. 

“Desk Tidy?” 

“Yes, it was there when I left my office earlier this shift - I was going to fetch my energon rations, upon my return I noticed it had vanished.”

Blinking, Rodimus’s attention fell to Whirl.

“Did you take it?” 

“He’s got no proof it was me.” To exaggerate his immunity Whirl stretched his lithe form, wriggled, and got even more comfortable than he’d previously been. 

“That was not a ‘ _no_ ’.” Ultra Magnus was growling, ready to snap handcuff round Whirl as soon as Rodimus seconded him. 

Of course, he was being a little presumptuous to expect Rodimus to take his side. 

“It’s just a desk tidy Mags, can’t this wait - the film’s gettin’ good.”

Flummoxed, Ultra Magnus reeled back, his glossa snagging on various categories of disbelief.

“It’s a theft!”

“It’s a desk tidy. You’ve probably just moved it someplace and forgotten where.” 

“No!” Ultra Magnus objected indignantly, horrified that Rodimus would even consider neglectfulness as a shade of Ultra Magnus’s personality. 

“What’re you doing still working anyway, come and enjoy the film with us - it’s an action movie, you’ll love it.” 

Wrong, Ultra Magnus loathed the action genre branding it inaccurate and guilty of glamorising grave events. If Rodimus didn’t know that by now…well… it pained him a little to think his Captain rarely listened to his trivia. Rung encouraged him to make daily small talk but what good was it when his chit-chat was more boring than his work’s personality. 

“Come on,” Rodimus jabbed at him, jovial and sing song, “Sit next to me, we’ll sort this Desk Tidy business out later.”

_Later_ having the meaning of “postpone the issue long enough and hope it’ll be forgotten”. Ultra Magnus had seen it happen too many times before.  Normally, his reaction would have been to cite how many documents needed his attention more than this movie, the following conversation often included asking how Rodimus could afford so much free time _and_ tackle mountains of paper work. But Ultra Magnus knew the answer to his own question - Rodimus didn’t do his paper work, that’s why Ultra Magnus suffered such tedious work in massive volumes. Completing it all cost him his free time.

It wasn’t something he often griped over; filing the forms himself ensured an acceptable standard, no proof reading and no chasing his Captain over silly mistakes and signatures. But in this instance Ultra Magnus did feel cheated. 

Rodimus’s offer was sharply declined and the issue of the Desk Tidy went unresolved. As Ultra Magnus left Swerve’s the weight of attention settled on him, even beyond the bar he couldn’t shrug himself free of the disappointment. 

Only when he returned to his office did he feel a little more settled, getting lost in his duties was always a capable distraction, even if his thoughts did occasionally drift back to Rodimus. 

Audits and Health and Safety documents covered his desk, somewhere in the sea of data pads Ultra Magnus had lost his stylus. Considering it would normally be stored safely in his desk tidy, this did cause him some frustration. Pushing and pulling the pads about the desk yielded nothing and then, as he could feel his anger seething through his gritted teeth, Ultra Magnus uncovered a bare patch on his desk where a crudely scrawled message was etched permanently into the surface. 

_Whirl wuzn’t ere._

_Rage_ boiled over. The lies, the defacement, the deplorable grammar, it was too much and Ultra Magnus detested it all. 

As if the only way to relieve the burning pressure behind his optics would be to strike out, Ultra Magnus beat both fists against the desk, when the impact was made a few data pads were disturbed, reshuffled, some slid onto the floor. 

And then, to worsen matters again, Ultra Magnus spotted new company brooding in the door. 

Megatron. 

“Sir.” Surprise and residual annoyance made him sloppy, as he rose Ultra Magnus collided with the edge of his desk. 

“At ease.” Megatron stepped into the room regardless of the door being closed, he took long strides and arrived in front of Ultra Magnus’s desk sooner than Ultra Magnus could react. 

Megatron removed his hands from behind his back and Ultra Magnus felt an instinctive need to seize some weaponry. But Megatron produced no guns or killer plot, he held a data pad. 

“The two week navigation charts you requested. We will be making port in three days time, I’ve made a list of stock items we require.” He set the data pad atop of mounds of others just like it overtaking Ultra Magnus’s desk. The hunt of the stylus had really put things out of order, a state Megatron did not associate with his Second-In-Command. 

“You’re fidgety soldier, that’s not like you.” 

Megatron’s gaze was demanding and knowing, he gave Ultra Magnus no hope of defending himself when he asked, in his own gruff way, what the matter was. Ultra Magnus caved and confessed, apologising for agonising over something others (everyone else aboard the Lost Light) might find trivial. 

As the story unfolded Megatron was attentive, stone faced and showing no evidence of picking a side between Ultra Magnus’s own opinions and Rodimus’s ultimate judgment. 

After concluding the story Ultra Magnus was left feeling foolish and struggling to keep the other mech’s gaze. He should not be intimidated by a war criminal but Megatron, as a leader, had a presence and Ultra Magnus braced to be chastised for overreacting. 

Instead he nodded. 

“Leave it to me.” 

Megatron left Ultra Magnus standing, he showed no inclination of what he was planning and Ultra Magnus uneasily settled back into his seat unsure of what to expect next... 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I sorry if this is a bit boring, I've yet to decide what to do in the next chapter.  
> No ratings as of yet because I may include smut but idk...


End file.
